6.27.15

The Yoga Lessons: 5 Diabetes Aspects To Keep In Mind

Diabetes has never been afraid to teach a lesson; thus, its effects have meandered into my yoga practice. Do normal people have to think about these things? Not a chance.

1) Know which side your pump site is attached.

If it happens to be sore, and you roll over on it after a calming savasana, all of that peace can disappear quickly.

2) Tuck in your tubing!

Keeping the flow is almost impossible when you see your pump go yo-yoing up in the air when you swing your arms up.

3) If you’re low, or close to low, yoga isn’t a good idea.

The goal is to let go and listen to your body–not a whole bunch of negative, hypoglycemic resistance to every move. Being low is a tough path into the present moment. That being said, if you notice that you’re trending low towards the end of the class, it represents a chance to breath, recognize, and work through a low blood sugar. Or you can just eat a banana.

4) After practicing yoga, my ability to ride with the ups and downs of the disease during the day improves.

Being centered when managing the disease creates better decision making.

5) Consistency matters.

The more I practice, the more I get out of the practice. Same goes for diabetes. I haven’t found any shortcuts yet.

If this happened to motivate you to try out some yoga today, here’s a quick, 30 minute flow from Tim Sanesei to start off your day. Just tried this flow out here in Maui. Good stuff.

Former co-founder of DiabetesDailyGrind, Ryan's mission is to motivate others with diabetes to live their own authentic life. Most days, when not in the hospital during his medical residency, you can find him on the bike, surfboard, or yoga mat. He believes in the power of clean eating, and loves his Dexcom.